Closson, Asa Burtin Jr.
A.B. Closson was born on June 27, 1837 in Norwich, Vermont. His parents were Asa B. Closson and Caroline Taylor Closson. A.B. Closson Jr. married Julia Payne in 1866. Miss Payne was the daughter of Nathan Payne and Sarah Brewer Payne of Massachusetts. A.B. and Julia Closson had four children: Henry Burton Closson, Fannie A. Closson, Walter Palmer Closson, and Alice Helen Closson (who married Presbyterian Minister J.M. Work).
Closson and his family moved to Cincinnati in 1865, and eventually, he established the A.B. Closson Jr. Co. on Fourth Street. The company sold maps and charts. In time, the business expanded to include the sale of statuary, rugs, pottery and artwork. The A.B. Closson Jr. Co. was incorporated in 1906.
In 1873, Closson and his family moved to the City of Ludlow. He soon became a leading citizen. Closson was a stockholder and former president of the Ludlow Farmers and Mechanics Bank. He also served for a decade on the Ludlow School Board.
In 1885, Closson purchased Somerset Hall in Ludlow. Two generations of the family lived in the historic structure, which was built in 1832. During the Closson ownership, a new street – Closson Court – was constructed to the rear of the home. The Closson family lived in Somerset hall until 1925, when it was sold the Unity Lodge No. 478 F & AM.
Asa Burton Closson died on August 7, 1910. He had been in poor health for some time. Doctor’s found it necessary to amputate his leg one month before his death. Services were held at the family home with burial at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati the Queen City, 1788-1912 (Volume IV) p. 903-04; E. Polk Johnson, A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians (1912: Vol. II) p. 1087; Kentucky Post, August 8, 1910, p. 2 and August 10, 1910.
